


Southern Comfort

by beckylee23



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, purely self indulgent but hey maybe you need some McCoy hurt/comfort too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-30 03:18:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19844467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beckylee23/pseuds/beckylee23
Summary: Hurt/comfort - everything will be alright.





	Southern Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> This was 100% purely self indulgent, written so very late at night, and I thought maybe you could use it, too. Written a while ago but I forgot to upload it here

With the exception of the crickets and occasional bird song, the night was quiet. You hadn't bothered switching on the porch light, preferring instead to sit back in the darkness with a cup of tea, breathing in the cool night air.

“Are you alright?”

His sudden interruption had you jerking upright, barely avoiding spilling hot tea all down your front.

“Geez, Leonard, are you trying to kill me? Make some noise!”

“I did. I spoke.” His wry smile gave you a wild urge to throw a cushion at him, and the way he looked down at you, eyebrow raised, was his way of silently telling you he knew exactly what you were considering doing.

“What are you doing out here alone in the dark?” He asked as he sat down beside you.

“Just relaxing. It's nice out tonight.”

“You haven't seemed yourself lately.” His arm came around you so casually, and you laughed awkwardly.

“I'm okay. Just puttering along, you know?”

His fingers were gently caressing your shoulder, a repetitive back and forth motion that made it harder for you to think straight.

“You're being too nice,” you whispered, valiant smile wobbling ever so slightly. “Stop being nice or I'll cry all over you.”

“What can I do?” He asked quietly, taking your hand in his.

You took a deep, shuddering breath, and focused on getting rid of the lump in your throat and the overwhelming urge to cry. You could feel his gaze on you but couldn't bear to meet his eyes. It wasn't pity you would see; Leonard would never pity you. It was the understanding. The worry. The softness. A combination of things you couldn't bear if you wanted to keep from crying.

“Just this.” You focused on trailing your fingers over his hand. Starting at his wrist you ran your index finger over the back of his hand, down to the tip of a finger, then back to his wrist, slowly repeating the action with each of his fingers until breathing was easier.

“You’re not alone,” he said quietly. “Doesn’t matter what time it is, just come and see me. We don’t even have to talk. We can just sit in the quiet, like this, as long as you need."

"You're too good to me, Leonard. What did I do to deserve you?"

"You were yourself. That's all you ever have to be; all I ever want you to be."

"Sometimes it feels like it's not enough for some people."

He rested his head on yours, arm pulling you tighter against him. "Sometimes it will feel like that, but you know it's not true. Some part of you, deep inside, knows you  _ are _ enough. We just need to work on getting that part closer to the surface."

_ 'We'. _

There was no point trying to discreetly wipe away your tears; Leonard Horatio McCoy was no fool. His hand slipped from yours, his arm left you, and he turned to you, raising his hands to cup your cheeks, thumbs gently wiping the tears away.

"S'alright, Honey. I'm here."

You covered his hands with your own as he rested his forehead against yours. You couldn't see his face but you know he must be smiling. You knew because you were, too.

Everything would be alright.


End file.
